Changgyeonggung (Palast / Palace) Seoul

Only 20 % of its buildings have been preserved, and considering size and splendor it is clearly overshadowed by the Gyeongbokgung and the neighboring Changdeokgung.

Nevertheless, the Changgyeonggung Palace offers some architectural features, interesting stories, a large park with a lake and an old Victorian greenhouse built in 1909.

Among the mentioned features are some of the oldest palace buildings in Seoul. In this regard the orientation of the main building toward the east is exceptional, while it is facing south in the other palaces. The fact that it can be accessed after having passed two gates only (usually three, which should provide better protection against assassins), is probably due to it’s ranking as a secondary palace with only close relatives of the king had been inhabited most of the time.

Same as all palaces in Seoul the history of the Changgyeonggung is characterized by repeated destruction and reconstruction, but it also tells of one of the biggest humiliation by the Japanese invaders in the 20th century.

1419 – Built by King Sejong the Great for his father Taejong

1483 – Enlarged for the wives of his antecessors and renamed to Changgyeonggung by King Seongjong

1589 – Destroyed by Japanese invaders during the Imjin War

1616 – Reconstruction

1624 – Partially destroyed during the Revolution of Yi Gwal and reconstructed again rather soon

1830 – For the most part destroyed by fire and rebuilt until 1833

1910-1945 – “Converted” into a zoo with botanical garden and museum by the Japanese occupying force

1983 – Restoration of parts of the palace after the relocation of the zoo

It is astonishing that the zoo was finally removed not before 38 years after the defeat of Japan. The delay is maybe also caused by the following Korean War, but most likely by occupation profiteers who were later still holding important government offices.

The good manageability of the palace now allows the sightseeing of the remaining buildings without hurry.

The visitors enter the castle through the two-story main gate ‘Honghwamun‘ which had been restored in 1616.

Honghwamun

Built: 1484

Destroyed: 1592 (Imjin War),

Restored: 1616

Then you are already right in front of the oldest and most important structure of the palace, the stone bridge ‘Okcheongyo‘, which has survived unharmed since the 15thcentury. It is also the starting point for the free palace tours.

Okcheongyo

Built: 1484 (original structure)

As a next step the second gate ‘Myeongjeongmun‘ has to be passed from where you are able to overlook the spacious courtyard in front of the Palace main building ‘Myeongjeongjeon’. Stone tablets are still marking the positions of senior officials during the major ceremonies.

Myeongjeongmun

Built: 1484

Destroyed: 1592 (Imjin War)

Restored: 1616

In the ‘Myeongjeongjeon‘ meetings with officials as well as banquets took place, in 1544 King Unjong had been enthroned in here. Today it is the oldest palace main building in Seoul.

Myeongjeongjeon

Myeongjeongjeon

Built: 1484

Destroyed: 1589 (Imjin War)

Restored: 1616

To the left is, however, facing south, the ‘Munjeongjeon‘, in which the king also transacted affairs of state or where royal commemorative plaques were stored after funerals.

Munjeongjeon

Built: 1484

Destroyed: 1589 (Imjin War) and after 1930 (Japanese occupation)

Restored: 1616, 1986

It is told that in 1762 the conviction and execution of the Crown Prince Jangheon by his father King Yeongjo took place in the courtyard in front of this building. Because of a mental illness and the resulting escapades by his son, the king ordered to put him into a locked rice box letting him die of thirst.

Indeed, King Yeongjo later regretted his judgment by posthumously awarding him the titleSado(‘ think in mourning’), but the final rehabilitation and honoring for Crown Prince Jangheon was settled by his son, KingJeongjo, who ordered the construction of the Hwaseung Fortress as protection for the father’s tomb.

The tour continues through the ‘Binyangmun’ gate located right behind the ‘Myeongjeongjeon’. Afterwards, keep to the right and finally reach the ‘Haminjong‘ pavilion which had been an alternative place for the king’s meetings with his officials or for royal banquets.

Haminjeong

Built: 1633

Destroyed: 1530 (Fire)

Restored: 1833

The yard around this pavilion is surrounded by the the ‘Gyeonchunjeon‘ and ‘Hwangyeongjeon‘ in the west and north.

Gyeongchunjeon (left) & Hwangyeongjeon (right)

Built: 1483

Destroyed: 1592 (Imjin-Krieg), 1830 (Feuer)

Restored: 1616, 1625, 1834

King Jeongjo (the 22nd Monarch of the dynasty and founder of the Hwaseung Fortress and the Hwaseung Haenggung in Suwon) as well as King Heonjong (24th) were born in the ‘Gyeonchunjeon’. By the way: the calligraphy on the sign above the entrance is originated from King Sunjo (23rd).

Gyeongchunjeon

Usually the the royal family was lodging in the ‘Hwangyeongjeon’ during their visits at Changgyeonggung.

Hwangyeongjeon

A little further to the north there are two more important buildings:

Tongmyeongjeon (back) & Yanghwadang (front)

Built: 1484

Destroyed: 1592 (Imjin-Krieg), 1624 (Injo Revolution), 1830

Restored: 1616, 1625, 1834

Both the ‘Yanghwadang‘ and the ‘Tongmyeongjeon‘ were serving as the living area for the royal residents of the palace.

Tongmyeongjeon

Yanghwadang

History says that the ambitious favorite concubine of King Sukjong (19.), Jang Hui Bin, after being downgraded from the rank of a second wife, had buried dolls and dead animals in front of the ‘Tongmyeongjeon’ in order to place a curse over the monarch’s first wife.

When the queen died of an unknown disease indeed in 1701, Jang Hui Bin was accused and executed with poison in the same year. Since she had been also the mother of at least one of the King Sukjon’s sons, she was posthumously honored with the title ‘Lady Osan’ as outstanding concubine. However, the king also issued a decree which should prevent the promotion of concubines to the status of a wife from that time on. The life of Jang Hui Bin was of course repeatedly processed as a TV series in the ‘drama-addicted’ Korea.

It is believed that the two remoted buildings nearby, ‘Yeongchunheon‘ and ‘Jipbokheon‘, were used as accommodation by the concubines.

Yeongchunheon

In case that there is still some time left, you can walk to the old Victorian greenhouse of the former botanical garden in around 10 minutes. This construction at the northern border of the park had been built at the end of the Joseon Dynasty in 1909 by the Japanese and is the only remaining building here which recalls the occupation.

Victorian Greenhouse

Victorian Greenhouse

On the way along you will pass two ponds, the picturesque ‘Daechundangji‘ and the small ‘Sochundangji‘.

Daechundangji

Apart from a small stone observatory tower the south side of the park mostly offers natural beauty, but no real attractions. Anyhow, there are two public toilets.

You should consider 30 minutes for the palace tour and at least another half hour for the northern park area including the greenhouse.

Please note that the palace also opens the gates on certain evenings (please see opening times below in info box) when you get the chance to enjoy the facilities at lighting. However, take into account that the number of visitors could be even higher than in the daytime.